The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) meeting on Thursday (11) discussed the draft standards for superintendent pharmacists and responsible pharmacists, and Rules for Responsible Pharmacists, which it is developing and will support the implementation of the Human Medicines (Authorisation by Pharmacists and Supervision by Pharmacy Technicians) Order 2025.
The new legislation, approved by Parliament and the Privy Council, aims to enable pharmacists to deliver more patient-facing clinical services and enable pharmacy technicians to maximise their contribution to pharmaceutical care through effective use of their skills and expertise.
The GPhC said it would shortly begin a public consultation on the proposed standards and rules, once some final changes discussed at the meeting have been made to the current drafts.
The new legislation will allow pharmacists to authorise, when absent or treated as absent, the handing out of checked and bagged prescriptions from 7 January.
The remaining provisions will come into effect from 10 December 2026, once the GPhC, Pharmaceutical Society NI and professional leadership bodies have published supporting professional standards and guidance.
They include allowing pharmacists to authorise a pharmacy technician to undertake or supervise the preparation, assembly, dispensing and sale and supply of medicines, that would otherwise need to be performed by or under the supervision of a pharmacist.
Allowing pharmacy technicians to take primary responsibility for the preparation and assembly of medicinal products in hospital aseptic facilities (Human Medicines Regulations 2012, Regulation 4A).
The new standards and rules will clarify and strengthen the organisational governance arrangements for registered pharmacies, specifically in respect of Superintendent Pharmacists (SPs) and Responsible Pharmacists (RPs).
They will take account of the interplay between the two roles, including their responsibilities and accountabilities from both an organisational and a professional standpoint.
GPhC chief standards officer Lynsey Cleland said, “We will shortly be launching a public consultation on the draft standards for Superintendent Pharmacists and Responsible Pharmacists, and Rules for Responsible Pharmacists, to give everyone the opportunity to give their views and help shape the final versions.
“We will then publish the new standards and rules before the key provisions relating to the supervision of the preparation, assembly, dispensing and sale and supply of medicines come into effect on 10 December 2026, to help everyone involved understand their responsibilities and accountabilities.”
